It was a good weekend for former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney on the endorsement front, as he won the backing of 1996 Republican presidential nominee Bob Dole as well as Iowa’s largest newspaper.

Voters in Iowa opened up their paper Sunday morning to see the Des Moines Register editorializing that “Mitt Romney Is Best To Lead” of the Republicans running for president this year. The first votes of the GOP primary will be cast at the Iowa caucuses Jan. 3.

In an open letter to Iowa voters, Dole wrote on Sunday that the former Massachusetts governor is “our best hope” for defeating President Obama in 2012.

“I’ve known Mitt and his family for decades,” Dole said. “His parents instilled in him a strong work ethic, rock-solid conservative values, and a deep sense of service to others. These traits — which have shone through in both the debates and my own visits with him — will serve him well in the White House.”

In Oklahoma, the The Oklahoman newspaper also offered its support to Romney on Sunday, titling the headline of its editorial, “Mitt Romney Is Best Man To Restore Nation’s Greatness.”

Romney earned the endorsements of Republican South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and the Washington Examiner newspaper last week.